1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods of degrading or converting biomass enriched with hemicellulosic material into fermentable sugars.
2. Description of the Related Art
Biomass material provides an attractive platform for generating alternative energy sources to fossil fuels. The conversion of biomass material (such as lignocellulosic feedstock) into Biofuels has the advantages of the ready availability of large amounts of feedstock, the desirability of avoiding burning or land filling the materials, and the cleanliness of the Biofuels (such as ethanol). Wood, agricultural residues, herbaceous crops, and municipal solid wastes have been considered as feedstocks for ethanol production. These materials primarily consist of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Once the biomass material is converted to fermentable sugars, e.g., glucose, the fermentable sugars are easily fermented by yeast into Biofuel.
Utilization of both cellulose and hemicellulose from biomass material is central to the efficient and economically feasible conversion of biomass to Biofuel. The effective hydrolysis of cellulose within biomass material to fermentable sugars such as glucose has been described in the art. However, advances in the hydrolysis of hemicellulose within biomass material to fermentable sugars such as xylose have been limited (see, for example, Saha, 2003, J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 30: 279-291; Um & van Walsum, 2009, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 153: 127-138; Saddler et al., 1983, Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 45(1): 153-160; U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,473; U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,588; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,668,340).
It would be an advantage in the art to improve the hydrolysis of hemicellulosic material. The present invention relates to, inter alia, methods of degrading or converting pretreated biomass material enriched in hemicellulosic material with enzyme compositions.